Zugzwang
by c.a.s.1404
Summary: Iris is pressured into accepting her friends trip to England so that she can relax. Upon her arrival relaxation is the last thing a certain resident of the hills has planed for her.Pretty soon Iris is fighting for her freedom.She isnt the only one either.
1. Chapter 1

_**I've had this idea nagging me for awhile, and I finally got a chance to publish this first chapter. Some of you may remember another story I was writing on here, well this story has the same character in in, Iris. I wont be finishing that other story with that character but writing this new one. I might finish my other story sometime, but I'm not sure. There has also been adjustments made to Iris as a character so she is not the same. I hope you like the new story.**_

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><p>I had been going to college for almost a year now, and working two jobs to help pay for my education. I also had my hands full caring for my pet cat Luki, and selling my artwork.<p>

It had been a long and harsh year, the school work was hard, my bosses unbearable, and my artwork time consuming. When I wasn't at school I was working. When I wasn't working, I was doing homework. When I wasn't doing homework, I was doing my art or caring for my pet and cleaning. I didn't have very much time to hang out with my friends or take a break. I was always doing something. Thinking back to my grand plans for my life after high school, I never would have dreamed I'd be so overwhelmed! I had made it though, my fist year in college complete. I felt accomplished, but drained. Now at least I would know what I was getting into come next year. Net year would be easier.

For the last hour, I had been enjoying my newfound free time by laying down on my couch doing absolutely nothing but thinking and relaxing. It felt good, that is, it did until the silence was broken by a continuous knocking at my door, accompanied by Madeline's loud commands to let her in.

And there went my down time, I thought to myself as I pushed myself off of the couch and made my way to the door.

"Hold on for a second! I'm coming!" I yelled reaching the door and unlocking the bolt and chain.

"May I help you?" I taunted Madeline keeping the door cracked. There stood best friend outside my door tapping her foot impatiently on my doormat, her face set in a grim frown.

"You have been done with school for I don't know how long and you haven't called me to hang out yet!" Madeline scolded as she shoved past me into the apartment. I grinned, shutting the door after her and turning to find her standing in the middle of the living room arms crossed over her chest and eyes narrowed waiting for my reply.

"I've been out of school for almost a full hour-" I was cut off as Madeline commented.

"-A full hour that you and I could have been hanging out at Heather's end of the school year party-" I cut her off.

"That YOU knew I didn't want to go to." I chimed in as I made my way over to the couch, plopping down dramatically with my arm over my eyes. "Oh the horror! The horror!" I simpered staring up at her. For effect I blinked a few times, watching as my friends fake façade dropped. Laughing, Madeline sat down in the chair opposite the couch.

"You are impossible!' Madeline giggled.

"I know." I smirked at her sitting up. I really didn't want to go to Heathers party. She was a friend of Madeline's whom didn't care for me, rather invited me out of courtesy to our shared friend. We hadn't gotten along since she saw her ex-boyfriend flirting with me at one of her parties. Even though I wasn't flirting back, she had held a grudge. Madeline knew but still hoped we would get along someday. It wasn't me not willing to get along that was the problem, but Heather's dislike of anything to do with me, and my avoiding awkward situations.

"Well, since an hour of our time has already been wasted you better get your butt ready to go because we have approximately…." She looked down at her watch. " Thirty-seven hours before you leave for England." Madeline teased smirking down at me as she made a mad dash for my room.

"I'm sorry I wasted an hour of- WAIT WHAT!" I screamed jumping off of the couch and running after her.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE THIRTY-SEVEN HOURS BEFORE I LEAVE FOR ENGLAND?"

"Exactly what I said," Madeline purred throwing a sundress and bikini at me. "I have taken the liberty of paying for you to stay at my aunts summer house in England for the duration of the summer. A nice relaxing break from everything!" She grinned at me as she threw a handful of my clothes in a suitcase she had taken out from under my bed.

I stared at her in amazement and disbelief.

"Madeline, you have got to be kidding me, you didn't!-"

"I did." She smirked.

"What about-?" I was cut off again.

"I called your bosses, notified your landlord, called up your art clients, and told your grandparents. Everything is SET!" Madeline chortled as she grabbed another armful of my clothes from another drawer. She proceeded to throw the clothes, which happened to be underclothes up into the air to come falling down all over. To her amusement a pair of mismatched socks fell on her head.

I just stood there in shock for a brief moment before I snapped back to reality.

"Madeline! You couldn't have, its so much money and you can't go doin-" I was cut off, AGAIN.

"Iris! Calm down!" Madeline screamed at me. After a moment of waiting for me to cut her off she continued. "Iris you have always worked so hard for everything, ever since your parents…" She paused. "I think you overwork yourself, and you don't know when to stop either. You have always been there for me, even when you've had a huge test to study for or something, you took the time to listen to me bawling my eyes out over a stupid boy." She giggled. "Not very many people risked failing a test for me. Thank you for that. Also, you never have time for yourself, your always doing for others, and working towards something. Iris this vacation is the least I can do for you. Either accept my gift gratefully, or prepare to be boxed up and shipped without your consent. Whatever you choose, you are going on this vacation." Madeline finished, her arms crossed over her chest her eyes focusing somewhere out into the distance. Her face was grim and still as she waited for me to speak.

For a few moments neither of us said anything, then I made my way over to Madeline and bear hugged her.

"Madeline, I can't believe you!" I laughed into her shoulder as she hugged me back. "You are unbelievable, I really am glad that you would do that for me but I cant Madeline, it really is too much. You cant spend all that money on me!"

At this Madeline pushed me away from her and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pressed her speed dial trying to get a hold of someone. I stared at her confused.

"Madeline what are you..?"

"I told you Iris, either you take the vacation willingly or-" At this point the person on the other line picked up.

"Madeline?" Asked a male voice through the phone. He sounded familiar…

"She's refusing." Madeline told the guy.

"I'll be right there." The guy answered, ending the phone call. And that's when it clicked.

"Was that Kevin!" I squeaked.

In front of me Madeline smirked. Oh god, it was! Kevin was Madeline's older brother, he was my best friend even before I met Madeline. I hadn't seen Kevin since Madeline and I graduated. Kevin lived in Australia, what was he doing in the states?

All of a sudden the door swung open and Kevin's voice rang throughout the apartment.

"Iris Bezarius! You have thirty seconds to comply, or Ill tickle you to death!"

Without even thinking, I ran to Kevin jumping up into his outstretched arms, forgetting all about the trip.

"Kevin! I've missed you so much!" I squealed. He had always been like a big brother to me.

Laughing, Kevin spun me around the room once before dropping me onto the couch unceremoniously. Madeline stood in the doorway smirking at her big brother. They had planed on this day for months now. Both of them knew Iris would refuse the trip.

"You made a grave mistake." Kevin said to Iris. "You have both refused my sisters present to you, and bluntly ignored my warning, for that you shall pay." And with that he commenced tickling me to death.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I laughed, desperately trying to squirm away from him and protect my sensitive sides in vain. "STOP IT!"

"Not until you give in!" Taunted Kevin. I heard Madeline's giggles in the background.

After what seemed like hours of the torture I finally gave in.

"FINE! I GIVE, I GIVE! I'LL GO ON THE TRIP!" I squealed out almost breathlessly. My sides hurt so bad from all that laughing.

Victorious, Kevin stopped tickling me and high-fived his sister.

"Mission complete." He laughed.

"Well, now that that's settled, get changed so we can hang out before you leave!" Madeline smirked throwing the bikini and sundress at me that she had handed me earlier. "You have approximately ten minutes to change before I release the tickle monster back on you!" And with that they both ran out of my apartment, leaving me laying breathless on the couch, wondering how I was going to get out of this mess.

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><p><strong><em>Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think?<em>**


	2. Chapter 2

very short chapter, It was longer but i erased the rest of it. enjoy.

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><p>Thirty-six and a half hours later found me at the airport getting ready to board my plane to England. Madeline and Kevin were sitting on either side of me as we awaited my flight.<p>

Nervously I fidgeted with my coat, tweaking the edges and flattening the lapel. Luki was already being boarded on the plane, and I hoped she wouldn't be too uncomfortable in the hold. I had split feelings about this flight. My mind wanted to explore this foreign land and get away from my daily hassles, but my body did not want to board that plane. My stomach twisted and my muscles were tensed up as if I would bolt for the exit at any moment.

I couldn't, for the life of me keep up with my friends conversation as they rambled on and on about what was the real football, soccer or American football. Madeline was all for soccer, Kevin being opposed.

I sank further into my seat, any moment now and I would be flying thousands of feet above the ground and ocean to a place I had never even been to before. Madeline had already explained the whole process to me, once I landed in England a friend of hers would be waiting to drive me to my destination and show me around the area for a few days, then I would be all on my own. She had even made sure the house was cleaned spotless, Kitty food and litter waiting in the closet, and the kitchen stocked full of food so I wouldn't have to worry about going grocery shopping as soon as I got there.

Hopefully she remembered to-

"Iris. Iris? Hello? Earth to Iris, its time to board the plane!" Madeline interrupted my thoughts as she excitedly pulled me out of my seat.

"Already?" I squeaked, glancing at the line filling out to the plane.

"Yep! I hope you have fun Iris! Don't forget to message me when you arrive, and relax some! You have all summer to do whatever, just remember that I'm always a call away." Madeline gushed pulling me into a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I'm going to miss you too, and I will." I replied as we broke apart only to be pulled into Kevin's hug.

"Be safe and have fun you little twerp!" Kevin teased.

"_last call for England" A voice called from the intercom._

"Better get going chica, if you miss your flight poor Luki will be in England all alone." Madeline smirked. She had planed this trip very well indeed.

Walking away from them I turned in my ticket and turned around at the last minute to wave, and then I was gone.

Little did I know that might have been the last time I saw either of them or American soil ever again, for in the eerie hills of England awaited a force far more powerful than my all-around plane ticket back home.

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><p>Reviews?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter! and no reviews...help me out alittle?

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><p>The whole trip went by in a blur. The plane ride, meeting Madeline's friend, driving for hours and finally arriving at my destination, all took a lot out of me. Finally it was over.<p>

Madeline's friend had taken off shortly after arriving, saying something about not wanting to stay out too late after dark and that if I needed her, her number was on the fridge.

The house was nice. Nestled among the hills a short distance from the lake and about a half hour drive to town. I could have all the privacy I wanted.

As soon as I had arrived, I automatically set up Luki's litter pan and food. The poor cat had been in that carrier all day. She had immediately went to the litter pan, stopping once only to hiss at me indignantly.

Madeline's summer house was pretty big, being two levels with three big bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, dinning room, laundry room, and porch opening to a backyard gazebo and forest fringe. Madeline and her aunt never did do simple, even if it was a house that they would only be staying in for a month or two at a time. Conservative wasn't their style.

Luki had taken to sniffing out the house, occasionally hissing at a scent unfamiliar to her. I wondered if Madeline or her aunt had brought any pets here before. Her aunt did have a Dalmatian.

The kitchen was fully stocked as Madeline had promised, and I helped myself to a glass of orange juice and a handful of grapes. And that's when luki let out a blood curdling screech and bolted after a black rat through the dinning room into the living room. I jumped, dropping the grapes and sending the orange juice and glass crashing to the floor. In a panic I quickly ran towards the commotion.

Luki had cornered the rat in the living room and was mercilessly batting at it, hissing like no tomorrow. The rat was huge! Then, suddenly the rat got past luki and bolted out through the cracked French doors leading to the backyard. Before Luki could continue pursuing I shut the door. Who had left it opened? I could have sworn when I walked through it was closed.

Luki sat in front of the door, tail whipping around and her eyes narrowed against the light glare on the window, trying to peer out at her escaping prey. Her ears were laying flat against her head and her hair was still bristling.

My heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Sighing I returned to the kitchen turning the living room light off as I went, I had a mess to clean up.

Luki remained at the door looking out at the darkened back yard. With the light off she could see clearly the rat take the form of a grotesque being with large rat teeth, tale, and knobby, awkward looking bones with misshapen muscles and beady black eyes set in a wrinkly rodent face disappear into the forest. Some rat thought Luki.

If Iris had stayed in the living room just a little longer, she might have seen what luki had. Her first goblin.

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><p>I loved the ending of this chapter!..What did you think? Review please!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**_This is the last chapter I'm posting until I get Some Reviews. :P_**

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><p><em>I was running through the dark, not knowing where I was going, just running. The sky was falling from above, stars shattering on the ground all around me, exploding like glasses falling on the floor. My feet bleed from the shattered shards as I ran through the carnage. <em>

_Tree roots made grabs at my ankles threatening to bring me down, and pull me into the earth. Vines wrapped around my arms and thorns ripped at my skin. Then the ground pulled away from me, disgusted. How could filth like me walk on its rough flesh? Breathe its life air?_

_The plants shrieked with laughter as I was dragged away by gnarled hands and claws. Down and down I went into nothingness. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't run…_

I awoke in a panic, drenched in sweat and tangled in my sheets, screaming as I rediscovered my voice. It took a solid minute or so for me to regain my bearings and calm down. Luki Glared at me from her perch on the window seat. No doubt my screaming had assaulted her eardrums.

"Sorry Luki." I whispered getting out of bed.

Sun streamed in from the windows on either side of the balcony, and through the balcony doors, lighting up the room with no shadow. I wouldn't need to turn the light on.

I stretched my arms out above my head and caught my reflection in the full length mirror. My long dark brown hair was damp and tangled all around me, looking more like tangled seaweed than my usual curly mid-thigh length hair. My shorts and oversize t-shirt stuck to my skin uncomfortably. Before I could do anything else I needed a bath.

Luki left her perch and curled herself around my legs, her initial annoyance with me already forgotten. I bent to scratch behind her ears. She purred and walked away from me rubbing against the door before taking off downstairs. I was forgiven.

I went into the bathroom and took a shower.

Downstairs Luki patrolled the living room. That 'rat' had forgotten its wallet behind the sofa.

Feeling particularly mischievous, Luki lifted the small sack in her mouth by the draw strings and carried it into the downstairs bathroom. She continued to jump up onto the back of the toilet and let the wallet fall with a pleasing splash into the toilet bowl. Not yet satisfied with her work, Luki made sure she pressed down on the lever activating the water whirl. Down to the sewer went the goblins wallet.

Luki was one smart kitty.

Satisfied, Luki made her way back upstairs to her beloved Iris.

Curling up into the bed sheets, Luki licked her paws and chops clean of her chore.

Down in the goblin kingdom, while most goblins were asleep, two goblins stood at the water mirror watching events transpire above ground. One of the two goblins was a very special goblin indeed, and the other a noble guardsman of the Goblin Kings guard.

Marak Leopardfang could barely control his laughter as his guardsman Ratolani, stared in disbelief as they watched the cat Luki, flush Ratolani's wallet down the toilet.

"That vile cat! She knew that was mine!" Ratolani stuttered angrily. His teeth were chattering together as they usually did when he was irritated. His tail curling and uncurling in poorly concealed aggression.

"That she did." Marak chuckled, as he clasped Ratolani's shoulder with his clawed one. "And if you ever want your wallet back, your going to have to go search for it."

Ratolani stared at Marak in disbelief.

"But the sewer? All that trash and human feces? I'll stink for days! Couldn't I get my revenge and send that scrawny feline down to search for it? She did it!" Ratolani complained. Surely Marak would give him permission to exact his revenge.

"Luki was just defending her owner, I could hardly blame her for being so petty." Marak smirked glancing back at the mirror to see Luki grooming herself on the bed. She looked satisfied.

Ratolani glared at the cat.

"I suppose." Ratolani gave in. "How will we keep an eye on the girl with that pest there?"

"You don't have to be in the house guard her, nor will you be the only guard watching. Right now Basil and Thornton are watching. The cat wont be an issue so long as you stay outside and she stays inside."

"I thought Basil was allergic to human cats?"

Marak took the moment to think as the mirror flashed to the two goblin guards perching in a tree outside of the window. Thornton had taken the shape of a bird, beside him, Basil crouched as a squirrel. For a second or two they remained still until Basil jumped backward with the force of a sneeze, luckily catching herself against another branch. At the bottom of the tree a cat scratched at the bark. Marak recognized the cat from the house down the road. Basil really was allergic to cats.

"I forgot."

With that the goblins parted ways, Ratolani to search the sewers for his wallet and Marak to send out the next guard.

The water mirror had shifted its sight to show a pretty girl with hair that more than skimmed the ground as she sat in front of a vanity. The girl had brilliant green eyes that stood out from the pale complexion of her face. Behind her, Luki glared out the window at a pair of suspicious looking critters.

Iris was oblivious.

Marak wasn't.

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><p><strong><em>Loved this ending. 3 Please Tell me what you think?<em>**


	5. Chapter 5

After a light breakfast of cereal, I washed my dishes and tried getting a hold of Madeline. She hadn't answered, so I left a short message, then waited around for Gloria to show up. She had promised to give me a tour of the nearby town.

Luki wanted to go too. She had nosed through my suitcase until she found her leash and harness. She was now staring up at me with the leash dangling from her mouth. She was such a silly cat. I attached the harness to her and went to grab her cat carrier, pillow, small container of food, water bottle, bowl, and a sheet for the seats. Hopefully, Gloria wouldn't mind.

When Gloria arrived, she didn't quite know what to think about the fact that my cat was on a leash. It was hard for her to keep from laughing, but she didn't mind the tag along in the least. We were out of the door and on our way into town in record time.

The whole ride there, Gloria gossiped about what the townspeople were up to, and who said this, and who said that. Luki occupied the back window, and I stared out at the forest as we passed by. It was so beautiful in all its untamed glory; it seemed almost magical. Certainly something I would rarely get to see, living on campus.

We parked the car a street away since the main street was a pedestrian walk. Gloria assured me that I would be able to bring Luki into the stores, but I brought her carrier along, just in case she started to flip out for some reason beyond human comprehension. Animals were supposed to be smarter than humans, but I had my doubts.

The first shop we stopped at happened to be a thrift store. The owner was an elderly lady named Rose who adored my cat and actually had three of her own, all of whom she was delighted to tell me about. Her inventory consisted of old clothes, some accessories, some toys, and a few overused pieces of furniture hidden away in the back. The store stank of mothballs and oil from the many lamps scattered around the place – Rose didn't believe in electricity. After looking around for a while, and chatting about with her about her youth – she had been an actress before settling down with her husband, Richard – I bought a lacy umbrella that had caught my eye.

On our way out, Gloria spotted one of her friends, more her age than Rose was – Gloria had thirty-three years to Rose's fifty-six. .I managed to sneak out of their group, now talking about how her friend's daughter had been caught "messing around" with a boyfriend, and moved on to the next store, which looked more promising.

I stood out in front of an antique shop with a variety of old-fashioned items and trinkets displayed in the window. Even from outside, the smell of burning incense and dust was pungent in the air. Luki spotted a cat through the window and pawed at the door. I went in, a bell chiming overhead as we entered.

Now that I was in closer proximity, the incense hinted of lavender, almost sickly-sweet. Behind the desk sat a rather short woman with a frog-like face and more wrinkles than I had ever seen in my life, let alone on one person. Her gray eyes were welcoming, and she didn't get up to hover over my shoulder as I looked around. She looked down at my cat and grinned with a knowing smile.

I didn't know where to start; there was so much to look at. I decided on working my way around to the back, where the old lady sat. As I was intently examining a little, hardwood jewelry box, the owner's cat came over and sniffed at Luki's neck, who returned the favor. They sat at my feet in companionable silence, moving along with me as I wandered to and fro.

Eventually, I found a small figurine section that had a considerable range of odd-looking characters. There were some depicting gnarled creatures with animal characteristics and, in contrast, others of remarkable beauty. I noticed that more of the pretty figures were missing than the gnarled ones. I guessed it was becau-.

"Those are elf and goblin figurines." Gloria informed me as I jumped a few feet into the air, startled.

"My gosh, Gloria, I didn't hear you come in," I gasped.

"Sorry, dear, I didn't mean to startle you." She gestured at the pieces. "Those are modeled after some local legends of goblins and elves. It's said that the goblins came out at night and looked for careless young girls out after dark. They would drag them underground, never to be heard from again, although it was commonly believed they'd been eaten. But the elves were good people; they blessed our wells, played lovely music and made wishes come true. They also defended the people from the goblins, or so the legend goes. I always thought it was just a just an old tale to keep the children from going out at night and making hellions of themselves," she finished, chuckling, and I joined in, disregarding the chill I felt down my spine. Goblin and elves didn't exist.

We finished looking around and finally I bought an old dream catcher. As the old lady was ringing it up, Gloria stepped outside to catch yet more of her friends as they walked past .I thanked the lady and was just turning to leave when she spoke to me.

"The real legend behind the elves and goblins is actually quite different from what dear Gloria told you," she said quietly, then smiled. "If you ever feel the need to know the true legend, feel free to stop on by and I'll be happy to tell you all about it."

With that, the lady walked behind a beaded curtain into another room and her cat took her place at the desk. Slightly confused, I left the store to meet back up with Gloria.

"-and then he said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't tell you.' So I said, 'so there is some-'"

"Hey, Gloria," I tactfully interrupted, saving both her friend and I from yet another tale, "look what I got!" I held up the dream catcher. "Where to next?"

"Why, Iris, that's just lovely! Have you met my friend Anne? She lives just on the other side of town; she was on her way to the barber. Anne, this is Iris, Selene Wentworth's nieces' friend, here for the summer. She's going to be staying at that house by the know the one I mean. Anywho, I was just giving her a tour of the tow-"

"Could we go to the bakery next?" I asked Gloria in another attempt to stem her nearly continuous flow of speech.

Anne caught on quick. She pretended to glance at her wristwatch and put on a horrified face.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry I can't stay to chat longer but my appointment is right now! It was nice to meet you, Iris! Later, Gloria!" And with that, she took off at a brisk pace toward what I assumed was the barber's.

Gloria looked rather surprised at her friend's abrupt departure, but quickly recovered. "We'll have to loop around and see if we can't catch her when her appointment's done. I didn't get to finish telling her about what Mr. Clo-"

"Is that the bakery? It smells amazing!" I gushed as I walked ahead, Luki trotting ahead of me.

Bakeries meant I'd be suckered into buying her a treat of some sort. She liked extremely soft, buttered bread in particular, and sometimes a thin slice of bacon. I was hoping that if Gloria got enough food, it'd keep her mouth shut for a while.

"Mmm, it does! Oh, and Fred is working too!" Now she was in the lead .This was going to be one _long_ day, and it had only just begun.


End file.
